t may look like paradise, but the Caribbean’s vulnerability to climate change and over-reliance on tourism signals trouble ahead
An innovative new programme, CARIBSAVE, aims to find a sustainable solution to enhance the livelihoods, environments and economies of these islands
The Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world, and there are few options to develop alternative economic sectors. In 2008, there were nearly 23 million visitors plus 18.9 million cruise passenger arrivals on the islands, generating an estimated US$25bn and directly employing 1.2 million of the population. On some of the islands, more than half of the work force is employed by the industry.
Over-reliance on tourism is just one of the challenges facing the Caribbean. It is also one of the areas most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including sea level rises, coastal erosion, water shortages and biodiversity loss. And, with climate change set to be the major issue of the next decade, global attention will be on the Caribbean, believes Sir Royston Hopkin, Chairman of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Development. “What we do today will set the stage for much wider global initiatives and we are prepared to face these environmental challenges with great resolve and ingenuity,” he says.